Bottle-filling machine.



No. 695,247. r Patented Mar. ll, I902 L. STREBEL & c. w. WILLIAMS.

BOTTLE FILLINGMAGHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet -I.

No. 695,247. Patented mar. ",19012.

L. STBEBEL & c. w. WILLIAMS.

BOTTLE EILLING- MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1991.

(lo Model.)

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L. STBEBEL & c. w. WILLIAMS.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

(Application filed Km: 29. 1901.) (No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3 I'll! an. n

IN NTO W/ TNE SSE S %m g UNUSED, fira'rns arena? rricn.

LOUIS STREBEL AND CHARLES WV. WILLIAMS, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y., AS-

SIGNORS TO THE CENTURY STOPPER COMPANY, OF NEWT YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEl/V JERSEY.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 695,247, dated March 11, 1902.

Application filed March 29, 1901. Serial No. 53,427. (No model.)

T0 at w/tom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS STREBEL and CHARLES W.WILLIAMs,citizens of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle- Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottle'filling machines; and the object of the invention is to provide a bottle-fillingmachine by which bottles provided with swing-bail stoppers may be quickly and reliably filled without having to raise the plug-stoppers of the bottles from the same by hand, this being done by the machine itself, so that while the plug-stopper of a bottle to be filled is raised the filling liquid, whether it be beer, soda, or any other liquid, may be squirted or filled directly into the bottle, after which the plug-stopper may be seated on the mouth of the bottle.

A further object of the invention is to do away entirely with the unnecessary inconvenience in having to cork the bottles after the same have been filled in cases where the bottles to be filled are provided with swingbail stoppers.

A further object of the invention is to construct the machine so that the plug-stopper will be held down to its seat, formed by the mouth of the bottle, until the locking-lever can be operated in any suitable manner, so as to lock the stopper and hermetically seal the contents of the bottle.

A further object of the invention is to hermetically inclose the bottle below the wiring, so that no leakage will result during the filling operation.

Our invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter particularlydescribed and then claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of our improved bottlefilling machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail front elevation, showing the operative parts of the mechanism in normally open position adapted to receive the bottle. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the same parts,

showing the bottle ready to be locked in position and filled. Fig. at is a sectional elevation of the same parts shown in Fig. 3, showing the bottle in filling position. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3, parts being removed so as to show clearly the stopper-opening device. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View of the relief device or sniff, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing a modified construction of the housing or casing and the means for operating the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the base portion or table of ourimproved machine, which is provided at its upper end with the seat a for the base of a bottle 0 which is to be filled. Rising from the top of the table A are a pair of parallel standards l3 B, which are connected at their upper ends by means of a cross-piece B. The standards B are preferably provided with enlarged base --cylinders b.

D indicates a casing or housing, which is preferably composed of two members D D the former being movable and the latter being fixed; but we do not necessarily limit ourselves to this form of housing or casing. The fixed member D of the housing or casing is provided with a tubular or hollow neck (1, which passes through the cross-head B and is screw-threaded at its upper end, so as to receive the lock-nut 6, whereby the housing or casing D is firmly fixed to said cross-head. The head D of the fixed member D of the housing or casing is provided with a transverse bore or channel from which extends a lateral duct f, in which is inserted a short screw-threaded tube f, on which is applied a preferably elastic or yielding discharge-non zle f that protrudes at its discharge end be yond the inner wall of the fixed housing member D F indicates a supply-pipe for the liquid to be filled into the bottle, said supply-pipe being connected with the bore or passage fin the head D and being connected at its op posite end with a suitable source of supply which may contain liquid under pressure. The inner sides of the members D D of the housim or casin are hollowed out at-d (Z so 100 b b 7 that when the said members are closed together,as shown in Fig.4,a chamber is formed, which is adapted to hermetically inclose at least that portion of the bottle to be filled which is above the base of the neck, so that the bottle will be inclosed below all the wires connected with the stopper.

The movable member D of the housing or casing D is maintained normally in upward open position by means ofa lifting-spring g, of helical form, which is fixed at one end to a suitable portion of the cross-piece B and at its other end is attached to an arm or arms G, that extend,preferably, from the pivot-pin cZ of the movable member, whereby the latter is pivoted to the head of the fixed member D The movable member D is operated to close around the bottle through the medium of a closing device which comprises a foursided or other suitable frame H, which is provided with antifriction-rollers h,and which encompasses the casing or housing D, said rollers It being separated only just so far apart as that when the frame H is moved down the movable member D will be moved up against the fixed member D of the housing or casing, said frame H being pivoted at h to the upper end of links 72- which are carried by reciprocating parallel rods 71 so that by the pivotal action of said frame H the same is adapted to move into the inclined position, so as to permit the opening movement of the movable member by its spring g. When the movable member is open, it is held positively so by the frame H, which engages the arms G. The parallel rods h are guided through the base-cylinders b of the standards B and through the top of the table A, they being connected at their lower ends within the base portion or table by means of a cross-piece I, connected with an actuating-rod I, that is in .tnrn connected with the treadle 1 pivoted at .a suitable pointt' in the base portion and extendingat its foot portion out beyond the base portion, sothat the treadle may be depressed against the lifting tendency of a spring 1 fixed at one end to the treadle and at its upper end within the base portion.

This spring I tends normally to raise the closing-frame H into the position shown in Fig. 3, While bypressing the foot upon the treadle I the frame H will be moved down into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so as to cause the members of the housing to close around the bottle below the stopper-wires.

The joints of the members or sections D D of the casing or housing D are suitably packed so as to hermetically inclose the bottle while being filled. To this end a strip of suitable packing j, preferably rubber, is let into a groovein one of the members or the housing or casing, preferably D so as to extend around one face of the same, while segmental packings jj7' of rubber or other elastic material, are let into grooves or recesses in the respective members D D of the housing or casing, so as to form a complete ring when in the position shown in Fig. 4:. By means of these packingsj andjj the bottle will be hermetically closed during the filling operation.

K K indicate stopper-opening fingers or wires, which depend downwardly from the head D of the fixed member D said fingers or wires K being retained adjustably in sockets 7c in the said head D by means of setscrews K, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the fingers may be raised or lowered, and thereby adjusted. These fingers have a slight yield-' ing motion, and when the movable member D of the housing is closeddown upon the bottle said fingers act to engage the bailwire 0 of the stopper 0 of the bottle and to lift the stopper away from the mouth of the bottle into the position shown in Fig. 4:, so that the discharge-nozzle f will be located above the open mouth of the bottle. To permit this action by the stopper-opening device, thebottle is preferably introduced in inclined position, as shown in Fig. 8.

L indicates a pressureshoe, preferably of curved form, which is located in the upper part of the chamber of the housing or casingthat is to say, in the upper end of the lever L which is fulcru med at Z to a suitable bracket or support Z on the cross-head B. The function of this pressure-shoe L is to enable the stopper to be closed by the depression of the hand leverL inasmuch as the said shoe L engages with the plug of the stopper, seats it, and maintains it in seated position during the opening of the movable member D after the bottle is filled and until the locking-lever O of the stoppercan be pressed down, so as to lock the stopper and hermetically close the, contents of the bottle. Another function of IOC IIO

the downwardly curved or projecting pres- 1 sure-shoe is to form by the toe of the said shoe a stop or means for limiting the swinging opening motion of the stopper, so that the stopper cannot be thrown over beyond reach of the said pressure-shoe. Coiled within the hollow neck 61 of the housing or casing is va helical spring m, which at its upper end en gages stops or pins 012 on said rod L, whereby the press ure-shoe L is maintained in normallyraised position. 7 (Shown in Fig. 3'.)

A box N, suitably packed at n, is screwed onto the upper end of the neck d and the hollow interior N of the same, and which is oblong or wider in one direction than the other and than the rod L, passing therethrough, communicates through the channel formed by the hollow neck d and through a passage f, formed in the head of the housing or casingtwith the chamber d d of the latter, said box N being suitably packed at n at a point where the reciprocating rod L passes through its hollow interior, so that an air-tight joint is formed. At one side of this box N, and as shown particularly in detail in Fig. 6, is arranged an extension or valve chamber P, which is provided with a nipple p on a smaller portion P, that is controlled by a suitable valve 19, preferably operated by means of a valve-rod p guided in said valve chamber or box and connected by means of a link or connecting-rod p with a handle 29', pivoted at p to the handle of the operating-lever L in convenientposition, so that the hand of the operator may manipulate handle 19 as well as the hand-lever L By opening the valve 19 the air which is displaced from the bottle by the filling liquid may be allowed to be sniffed off, so that a relief is thereby afforded. A relief-chamber is preferably con nected with the valve-chamber P for the purpose of relieving the air which is displaced from the bottle into said chamber, said chamber consisting, preferably, of a hollow sphere Q, mounted on short branch pipe q, extending from the larger portion of the valve-chamber P and controlled by means of a suitable valve q, so that it may be shut off entirely and relief only had by opening the valve 19.

Our improved filling-machine is operated as follows: The bottles to be filled, which are equipped with swing-bail stoppers, are placed upon the table A after first raising the stopper-locking lever 0 so as to rest at their upperends against the lowerrecessed end of the fixed member D of the housing or casing. The operator now presses his foot on the treadle 1 whereby the closing device or frame H is lowered and the movable member D moved downwardly and inwardly, so as, in connection with the other member D to close around the upper part or" the bottle below the stopper-wires and to thereby form a hermetically-closed chamber around the inclosed portion of the bottle. The operator retains his foot on the treadle during the filling operation; but it is evident that the actuating treadle may be locked automatically in depressed position in any suitable manner and released at the desired time. Simultaneously with the movement of the movable member D and the movement of the bottle into the position shown in Fig. 4 the upper end of the bail-wire O is brought in contact with the depending fingers K, which act to lift the plug-stopper C from the mouth of the bottle into the position shown in said figure, so that an opening into the mouth of the bottle is formed opposite to and below the discharge-nozzle f The liquid to be filled into the bottle is now allowed to flow through the discharge-nozzle f and to squirt directly into the bottle, the air displaced passing up through the passage f, the hollow neck d, the box N, and the valve-chamber P, the operator occasionally-once or twice onlybeing necessary-operating the handle 1), so as to open the valve 1) and allow the air to pass oif through the nipple p. The valve 1) does not really have to beopened until the filling is completed, as the displaced air will temporarily accumulate in the air-cl1amber Q. The bottle having been filled, the operator now depresses the hand-lever L thereby lowering the pressure-shoe L, which presses upon the plug-stopper C swings the bail O on its pivots, and seats the stopper in the mouth of the bottle. The operator maintains this pressure on the hand-lever L and the pressureshoe L forces the plug-stopper G into the bottle-mouth until the bottle is removed from the machine. As soon as the bottle has been filled the operator releases his foot from the treadle I whereupon the spring I automatically raises the parts connected therewith, so as to lift the closing-frame H and permit the spring g to automatically raise the movable member D and to thereby open the housing or casing. The operator, as has been stated, having maintained the pressure on the handlever L the plug-stopper will be held firmly seated in the mouth of the bottle by the action of the pressure-shoe L, so that none of the contents of the bottle can flow out, and this pressure is maintained during the opening of the housing until the operator depresses .the locking-lever 0 so as to lock the stopper and hermetically seal the contents of the bottle, so that the filled bottle can be removed fromthe machine, another one inserted, and the necessary manipulations gone through with, as before described.

In Fig. 7 a modified form of the invention is shown, in which the movable member D is shown as bearing a laterally-projecting stud r, which enters a slot 1" in a bell-crank lever R, which is pivoted at r to the fixed member D of the housing or casing, said bellcrank lever R being suitably connected with an operating-rod R, which may be operated in any suitable manner, so as to positively open and close the movable member I) of the housing or casing thereby.

The bottle-filling machine shown and described possesses a great advantage over the machines heretofore in use, inasmuch as the bottles do not have to be corked, and also the bottles may be filled with the swing-bail stop pers in position thereon, the plug-stopper being automatically raised from the mouth of the bottle and held raised while the bottle is hermetically inclosed below the stopper-wires and the plug-stopper being adapted to be held .to its seat after the filling has beenaccomplished and until the stopperis locked in position, so that the bottle will behermetically sealed. It is evident that it is within the power of skilled mechanics to change the construction or manner of operating our improved machine without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as the invention re-' quite evident that the housing or casin g could &

be made of such size as to hermetically intion of a suitably-supported housing or case ing adapted to hermetically inclose the upper portion of a bottle to be filled, means for opening and tilting back the stopper of the bottle, means for filling the bottle, and means independent of the means for opening the stopper for swinging forward and closing the stopper, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination, with a suitably-supported housing or casing constructed with a swinging member, the latter and the other part of said housing or casing being adapted to coact to hermetically inclose the upper portion of a bottle below the stopper-wires, of means for holding said swinging member normally in open position, means for operating said swinging member, means for filling the bottle, and means for closing the stopper, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination of a housing for hermetically inclosing the upper part of a bottle to be filled, means acting in conjunction with said housing for automatically, during the closing of the housing upon the bottle, opening the stopper of the bottle, means for filling the bottle, and means for closing the stopper of the bottle, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination, with a suitably-supported housing or casing adapted to hermetically inclose the upper part of a bottleto be filled, and composed of a fixed and a movable member, a spring acting to normally raise said movable member, and means acting to close the movable member against the fixed member, so as to hermetically inclose the upper portion of the bottle, of means for filling the bottle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination, with a housing or casing suitably supported and constructed of sections, one of which sections constitutes a movable member which is hinged to the fixed member, and means for holding the movable member normally open, of a closing-frame inclosing the fixed member and the movable member, and adapted to move along and close the movable member upon the fixed member, and means for filling the bottle,substantially as set forth.

6. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination, with a suitably-supported housing or casing adapted to inclose the neck of a bottle to be filled, said housing or casing being composed of a stationary member and a movable member, of fingers fixed rigidly in the upper end of the stationary member and projecting downwardly, said fingers being adapted to reciprocating rod guided in the upper end of V the housing or casing, a pressure-shoe carried by the lower end of said rod, said pressure-shoe projecting laterally from said rod between said fingers, and being downwardly curved beyond the fingers so as to form a stop for limiting the opening motion of the stopper, and also to engage and close the stopper of a bottle, and means for operating said rod, substantially as set forth.

8. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination, with a suitable housing or casing for hermeticallyinclosing a bottle below the stopper-Wires, of a liquid-supply pipe, and adischarge-nozzle projecting inwardly from one side of a stationary portion of the inner chamber of said housing and connected with the supply-pipe so as to shoot the filling liquid directly into the bottle, substantially as set forth.

9. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination, with a suitably-supported housing or casing, adapted to hermetically'inclose the upper portion of abottle below its mouth, of means for filling the bottle, a relief device or sniif provided witha valved chamber connected with theinterior of the housing, an enlarged chamber supported on said valved chamber and adapted to receive some of the air displaced from the bottle, the valve of said valved chamber-being adapted to let out the air therefrom, and a valve between the said valved chamber and the enlarged chamber for isolating the latter from said valved chamber when desired, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS STREBEL.

I O. W. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WHEELooK, GEORGE O. GEIBEL. 

